Often, containers that store perishable products, such as food, include a removable membrane sealed to the rim of the container. The membrane is used to help prevent the transfer of oxygen, moisture and other contaminants into the container. The membrane also provides a measure of tamper evidency. When a consumer buys the container, the membrane is removed and discarded. The container can then be used to dispense the product.
It is known to include a removable overcap to protect the product and to provide access to the product retained within a container. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,567 to LaVange shows an overcap for an open-mouthed container. The cap has two annular skirts, with one skirt including an inwardly projecting rib that engages a rim on the container to retain the cap on the container. The inner skirt is sized to fit within the open end of the container, positioning the rim between the two skirts. The cap also includes a hinged flap that selectively closes an opening in the overcap.
US 2005/0236465 to Stevens shows an overcap with an outer annular skirt adapted to engage the rim of a container. A hinge is provided across a top panel of the overcap to allow a portion of the top panel to be selectively rotated with respect to the remaining portions of the top panel to provide access to the product within the container. The skirt portion includes an inwardly extending rib that engages the container rim to secure the overcap to the container. The hinged portion of the overcap can be opened by moving the rib on the hinged portion over the rim of the container.
It is known to provide structures on an overcap to fix a portion of the overcap in an open position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,083 to Helms shows an overcap and container combination, with the overcap having a pivotable portion for providing access into the container. In one embodiment, a set of two male tabs on both side edges of the body portion of the overcap and a corresponding tab on each side edge of a flap portion. When the flap portion is rotated back, the single tab engages within a slot created by the tabs and the flap is fixed in the open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,981 to Nobakht shows a dispensing overcap for closing a container. The overcap includes three pivotable flaps for covering different sets of openings. Each flap includes a single upstanding post on its upper surface. Adjacent each flap pivot is provided a pair of posts, defining a slot. The flap post is positioned to engage within the slot of the adjacent post pairs when the flap portion is pivoted open.
It is also known to use contoured surfaces on the opposing flap sections of a pivotable overcap structure to hold a flap open. U.S. Pat. No. 7,165,695 to Choi and US 2007/0045140 to Klein show overcaps for containers having a pair of pivotable flaps formed on opposite ends of the upper surface. One flap forms an elongated slot and the opposing flap forms an elongated projection that frictionally mate together when one of the flaps is rotated to the open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,901 to Hidding and U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,323 to Martin et al show pivotable flaps on an overcap structure having a releaseably locking mechanism adjacent the pivot position. A projection formed on an inside edge of the flap pivot engages within a receiving slot on the body of the overcap to fix the flap in an open position.